Defending champions FC Bayern München opened the Bundesliga 2017/18 campaign with a 3-1 win over Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. Germany international Niklas Süle netted the first goal of the new season, before Corentin Tolisso and Robert Lewandowski put FCB into a commanding lead. Admir Mehmedi’s 65th-minute strike was unable to inspire a Bayer 04 fightback under the stormy Munich skies.
The Bavarians set the pace early on and it was Tolisso who produced the first chance, forcing a decent stop from Bernd Leno. Leverkusen were struggling to get out of their half and soon found themselves 1-0 down. Sebastian Rudy’s delightful free-kick into the middle was headed home by fellow new signing Süle.
Ulreich to the rescue, Tolisso adds another
Bayer 04 reacted well to going behind though and could have been immediately level if not for a good double save from Sven Ulreich, first against Mehmedi and then from Karim Bellarabi. Instead, it was Bayern who were celebrating once more. Leno could only push a corner away as far as Arturo Vidal, whose ball back into the danger zone was nodded over the line by record signing Tolisso.
Chances continued to come for both sides in the opening 45 minutes, but again Ulreich was in the way when Kevin Volland took aim from a tight angle. Tolisso could have had his second and Bayern’s third soon after, with only the post denying the Frenchman from putting the game beyond the visitors in the first half.
VAR makes maiden intervention
The second period was delayed by 15 minutes after thunder, lightning and torrential rain in the Bavarian capital even had some fans scampering for the concourse inside the Allianz Arena. The action did finally did resume though, and those supporters who braved the wet conditions were treated to a first in German football; upon advice from video-assistant referee Dr. Jochen Drees, match official Tobias Stieler pointed to the penalty spot after Lewandowski was pulled down by Charles Aranguiz. The Pole stepped up himself to make it 3-0 after 52 minutes.
The away side weren’t about to give up though and Julian Brandt came within inches of pulling one back, before a fine stop from Ulreich denied Bellarabi again and Dominik Kohr’s rebound was blocked on the line by Joshua Kimmich. Mehmedi did finally make it 3-1 with a blistering strike, but there was to be no dramatic comeback in the season’s Bundesliga opener.
Defending champions FC Bayern München opened the Bundesliga 2017/18 campaign with a 3-1 win over Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. Germany international Niklas Süle netted the first goal of the new season, before Corentin Tolisso and Robert Lewandowski put FCB into a commanding lead. Admir Mehmedi’s 65th-minute strike was unable to inspire a Bayer 04 fightback under the stormy Munich skies.
The Bavarians set the pace early on and it was Tolisso who produced the first chance, forcing a decent stop from Bernd Leno. Leverkusen were struggling to get out of their half and soon found themselves 1-0 down. Sebastian Rudy’s delightful free-kick into the middle was headed home by fellow new signing Süle.
Ulreich to the rescue, Tolisso adds another
Bayer 04 reacted well to going behind though and could have been immediately level if not for a good double save from Sven Ulreich, first against Mehmedi and then from Karim Bellarabi. Instead, it was Bayern who were celebrating once more. Leno could only push a corner away as far as Arturo Vidal, whose ball back into the danger zone was nodded over the line by record signing Tolisso.
Chances continued to come for both sides in the opening 45 minutes, but again Ulreich was in the way when Kevin Volland took aim from a tight angle. Tolisso could have had his second and Bayern’s third soon after, with only the post denying the Frenchman from putting the game beyond the visitors in the first half.
VAR makes maiden intervention
The second period was delayed by 15 minutes after thunder, lightning and torrential rain in the Bavarian capital even had some fans scampering for the concourse inside the Allianz Arena. The action did finally did resume though, and those supporters who braved the wet conditions were treated to a first in German football; upon advice from video-assistant referee Dr. Jochen Drees, match official Tobias Stieler pointed to the penalty spot after Lewandowski was pulled down by Charles Aranguiz. The Pole stepped up himself to make it 3-0 after 52 minutes.
The away side weren’t about to give up though and Julian Brandt came within inches of pulling one back, before a fine stop from Ulreich denied Bellarabi again and Dominik Kohr’s rebound was blocked on the line by Joshua Kimmich. Mehmedi did finally make it 3-1 with a blistering strike, but there was to be no dramatic comeback in the season’s Bundesliga opener.
